Superhero Sandbox Playlist 10/30/14

Wednesday Morning, 3 AM (Simon and Garfunkel-- Wednesday Morning, 3 AM-- 1966)

Mink Car (They Might Be Giants-- Mink Car-- 2001)

Go! CHICAGO! Go! Yeah! (Sufjan Stevens-- Illinois-- 2005)

Painted Eyelids (Beck-- One Foot In the Grave-- 1994)

Where Do You Hide In A Haunted House? (Casper the Friendly Ghost-- Haunted House Tales)

Theme From A Clockwork Orange (A Clockwork Orange Soundtrack-- 1972)

War Of the Worlds Pt. 1 (Mercury Theater On the Air-- Orson Welles' War Of the Worlds-- 10/30/38-- Longines Symphonette Society release)

Water in the Sky (Phish-- The Story of the Ghost-- 1998)

Make the World Go Away (Elvis Presley-- Welcome To My World-- 1977)

Gentle On My Mind (Elvis Presley-- Welcome To My World-- 1977)

I Can't Stop Loving You (Elvis Presley-- Welcome to My World-- 1977)

Title Music From A Clockwork Orange (A Clockwork Orange Soundtrack-- 1972)

War Of the Worlds Pt. 2 (Mercury Theater On the Air-- Orson Welles' War Of the Worlds-- 10/30/38)

Pass Me Not (The Richbury Singers-- Gospel Gold-- 2007)

As Good As You've Been To This World (Janis Joplin-- I Got Dem Ol' Kosmic Blues Again Mama!-- 1969)

Music In The Air (Sister Rosetta Tharpe-- Best Of)

The Superhero Sandbox airs weekly on Royalton Community Radio WFVR 96.5FM, and at royaltonradio.org

Superhero Sandbox Playlist 10/23/14

Tara's Theme (Gone With the Wind-- Max Steiner-- 1961)

Suspicious Minds (Elvis Presley-- The Essential 70's Masters-- 1973)

Mustang Sally (Paul Revere and the Raiders-- Live-- 

Proud Mary (Elvis Presley-- The Essential 70's Masters)

Tara's Theme (Gone With the Wind-- Max Steiner-- 1961)

Mammal (They Might Be Giants-- Apollo 18-- 1992)

My Hometown (Neil Young-- A Letter Home-- 2014)

Never Been To Spain (Elvis Presley-- The Essential 70's Masters)

I Get A Kick Out of You (Ginny Simms and Orchestra-- An Hour of Cole Porter-- 1952)

Happiness Hotel (The Muppets-- Great Muppet Caper soundtrack)

Bye Bye Blues (Mickie Finn-- Saturday Night at Mickie Finn's-- 1966)

Why Don't You Write Me (Simon and Garfunkel-- Bookends-- 1969)

Joy 'Round My Brain (Richard and Mimi Farina-- Memories)

All I Really Want To Do (The Byrds-- Mr. Tambourine Man-- 1996)

You Gave Me a Mountain (Elvis Presley-- Essential 70's Masters)

If I Can Dream (Elvis Presley-- 1968 Comeback Special)

Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu (Domenico Modugno-- Volare and Other Favorites)

Laugh and Be Happy (Randy Newman-- Harps and Angels-- 2012)

Born Free (Dick Delaney-- Dick Delaney Presents)

Long Way Home (Tom Waits-- Orphans-- 2011)

I Feel A Song In My Heart (Gladys Knight and the Pips-- I Feel a Song-- 1974)

Life in the Psychotropics (Bruce Hornsby-- Solo Concerts-- 2014)

Summer's Almost Gone (The Doors-- Waiting for the Sun)

Vein of Stars (The Flaming Lips-- At War With the Mystics-- 2006)

Rhythm, Rhythm (Lionel Hampton-- Hot Mallets-- 1937)

A Wing and A Prayer (The Song Spinners-- This is My Country)

I'll Be Satisfied (Rosie Wallace-- and the First Church of Love, Faith and Deliverance)

I Hear Music (Sister Rosetta Tharpe-- Best Of)

Free Parking: A Brief Atlantic City Photo Essay

The closure of four casinos in Atlantic City has created only an eerie sense of vacancy in the resort town: the Atlantic Club, the Trump Plaza, the Showboat, and the newly-built Revel are all empty now. Of these, only two-- Trump Plaza and the Atlantic Club-- publically admitted to having not turned a profit. Upon making their closure announcement, Showboat management made clear that they had been making money, but not as much as they wanted, to make continued operations worthwhile. The Revel, its owners having declared bankruptcy during construction to obtain a taxpayer-funded state bailout from Gov. Christie, chose to close their shiny facility that took over the far end of the Boardwalk strip when attendance dropped. Word on the street is that the Revel owners are going to "pull a Burger King"-- that is, re-emerge as a new corporation based in Canada, and purchase back the facility for a song. The Revel has been the only casino in AC to deny its workers a right to organize. The place has the feel of a Monopoly game pitifully lost, the handful of deeds remaining in the hands of the bank until everyone else gives up. 

There are still plenty of places of luxury available in AC, for the reasonably-to-extraordinarily wèalthy (the Borgota, built in 2003 as the first off-Boardwalk casino, seems to have this market cornered). But luxury for the ultra-rich can be found in most places, and that has never been the point of the place anyway: the Boardwalk is wide enough to hold thousands of vacationers, meandering and staring at the sea. Except for the homeless and the mentally ill, everyone walks fast on the boards now, and especially ay night. Regardless of whether or not the owners of the Trump Taj Mahal recieve the tax break they're requesting from the state, what will the spectacular rebound of Atlantic City look like? Will the state of New Jersey continue to "reinvest" in Boardwalk properties? Will the new convention center being erected at Harrah's replace the famed hall on the other side of the city? Will the buffet at the Golden Nugget find an effective way to prevent homeless people from filling their pockets with food? And will I ever see another performance at the Showboat's House of Blues? 

These photos were taken on October 16 and 17, 2014. Locations include the former Atlantic Club, the Showboat, Ceasar's, the Tropicana, the Irish Pub, the Boardwalk, and elsewhere. The "American College of Wealth"-- at least a sign representing such-- is located at Boardwalk and St. James Place. 

Note: click on any image to see a larger, high-rez version. 

Superhero Sandbox 10/9/14 Playlist

The Superhero Sandbox is a weekly music program, heard on Royalton Community Radio WFVR-LP 96.5FM South Royalton, and worldwide on Royaltonradio.org

Gettin' By (Jerry Jeff Walker-- Great Gonzos-- 1977/1991)

Beat Me Daddy Eight to the Bar (Commander Cody and the Lost Planet Airmen-- Lost in the Ozone-- 1971)

It Wasn't God Who Made Honkey Tonk Angels (Bill Haley and the Comets-- Haley's Juke Box-- 1960)

That Lucky Old Sun (Ray Charles-- Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music-- 1962)

The Rocker (Papa John Creach-- I'm the Fiddle Man-- 1975)

World Keeps Turning (Tom Waits-- Orphans-- 2006)

Oop-Bop Sh-Bam (Kenny Clarke and His 52nd Street Boys-- The Be-Bop Era-- 1946/1965)

Summertime Summertime (The Jamies-- Rock On-- 1958/1975)

Mansion Over the Hilltop (Elvis Presley-- Amazing Grace-- 1994)

As an Eagle Stirreth Her Nest (The Staple Singers-- Amen!-- 1965)

I Saw the Light (Five Blind Boys of Alabama-- Gospel Gold-- 2007)

Let the Church Roll On (Flatt and Scruggs-- At Carnegie Hall!-- 1963)

Autumn Leaves (Miles Davis-- Miles Davis in Europe-- 1964)

But Beautiful (Tony Bennett/Bill Evans-- The Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Album-- 1975)

Don't Take Your Time (Sammy Davis Jr.-- Lonely Is the Name-- 1968)

That Old Black Magic (Louie Prima and Keeley Smith-- The Perfect Mix-- 2001)

My Way (Frank Sinatra-- The Main Event-- 1974)

Tight Like That (Luis Russell-- and his Louisiana Swing Orchestra-- )

Smoke Smoke Smoke That Cigarette (Tex Williams-- Music For the Fun Of It-- 2001)

You Remind Me Of the Guy (Chubby Checker and Bobby Rydell-- )

Invisible (Bruce Hornsby-- Solo Concerts-- 2014)

How Can I Sing Like a Girl? (They Might Be Giants-- At Large-- 2011)

Pack Up Your Troubles (Richard and Mimi Farina-- Memories-- 1968)

Take My Hand, Precious Lord (Stringbean-- A Salute to Uncle Dave Macon-- 1976)

Go Tell It On the Mountain (Simon and Garfunkel-- Wednesday Morning, 3AM-- 1964)

Lo, How a Rose E're Blooming (St. Michael's Choir School-- 1981)

Music In the Air (Sister Rosetta Tharpe-- Best Of)

Superhero Sandbox Playlist 10/2/14

The Superhero Sandbox is a weekly musical program, heard on Royalton Community Radio 96.5FM WFVR-LP, produced by Christopher Smith. 

Leaves of Green (Simon and Garfunkel-- Wednesday Morning, 3 AM-- 1964)

September of My Years (Frank Sinatra-- September of My Years-- 1965)

How Many? (Bill Haley and the Comets-- The Best Of-- 1999)

All the World Is Green (Tom Waits-- Blood Money-- 2002)

Jeepers Creepers (Louis Armstrong-- Songs We'll Never Forget-- 2004)

The Happy Hammond (Dick Delaney-- Dick Delaney Presents-- ???)

Far Out (Herbie Hancock-- Jazz Duo-- 1999)

Harmony (Sly and the Family Stone-- Life-- 1968)

I Am the Walrus (The Beatles-- Acetates-- 1991)

Chicago (Graham Nash-- Songs for Beginners-- 1971)

House Un-American Blues (Richard and Mimi Farina-- Reflections in a Crystal Wind-- 1965)

Don't You Know Yockomo (Huey 'Piano' Smith-- Rockin' Pnuemonia and Boogie Woogie Flu-- 1958)

Subterranean Homesick Blues (Bob Dylan-- Best Of-- 1965)

Red Rubber Ball (The Cyrkle-- Red Rubber Ball-- )

Dolphins (Richie Havens-- Live at the Cellar Door-- 1971)
Sleeping Monkey (Phish-- 2/11/93)
End Of the World As We Know It (REM-- Unplugged-- 1991)
Norwegian Wood (Keene State Jazz Ensemble-- "Live In Boston"-- 1973)
Cloisonne (They Might Be Giants-- At Large-- 2011)
The Peanut Vendor (Stan Kenton-- Road Show-- 1959)

Let Me Be Good To You (Otis Redding and Carla Thomas-- King and Queen-- 1967)
I'll Get By (The Ink Spots-- Songs We'll Never Forget-- 2004)
Bring It On Home to Me (Otis Redding and Carla Thomas-- King and Queen-- 1967)
Goin' Out of My Head/Can't Take My Eyes Off You (Lettermen-- Perfect Mix-- 2001)

The River (Bruce Springsteen-- Greatest Hits-- 1995)
America the Beautiful (Virgil Warren-- The Music of Virgil Warren-- ???)
By and By (Elvis Presley-- Amazing Grace-- 1994)
Spread Joy (Lake Anne Elementary School Chorus-- 1972-1973)
Kyrie (Victoria) (Saint Clements' Choir, Philadelphia-- Music of Tomas Luis de Victoria-- 1994)

Music In the Air (Sister Rosetta Tharpe-- Best Of)